I’ve gone to some of the best beaches in the world. I’ve
been to Rio de Janeiro and to the Gulf Coast. I’ve traveled up and down the Pacific
edge of California and been to the rocky coast of Maine. I’ve even summered in
the Hamptons, but I’ve never seen any stretch of ocean more beautiful than in
Queens.
Yes, Queens. More specifically, the Rockaway Peninsula. Our
favorite stretch of beach is somewhat remote. Pristine. No amenities. No
boardwalk, lifeguards, concessions, and bathroom facilities are a 10-15 walk
inland from the beach. There’s little in the way of parking and even less
access without a car, so it’s not surprising that the beach at Fort Tilden is
usually fairly empty.
Fort Tilden was built as a permanent army fortification in
1917, but has been the site of temporary military installations since the War
of 1812. It was finally decommissioned in 1994 and one of my old neighbors in
Battery Park City was the last brigadier general associated with it. Today, the
National Parks Service administers the land, which encompasses 98 acres of
wooded growth, abandoned barracks and gun batteries and several miles of ocean
beach. In the summer, it’s a favorite spot for naked people and surfers and
throughout the year it’s visited by birders, fishermen, photographers and us.
In addition to a few parking areas, mostly reserved for
local Little League and soccer teams, there’s a narrow roadway paralleling the
ocean, just wide enough for a Jeep or a couple of bicycles. Abandoned barracks
are dotted along the landside, and massive dunes separate the roadway from the
beach itself.
The Rockaway Peninsula is one of the areas
hardest hit by Sandy and we weren’t able to visit Fort Tilden for nearly a
month. When we did, we drove past the massive, downed trees to the narrow roadway that parallels
the ocean and immediately knew that something was wrong. Bob figured it out seconds
before I did: the dunes were gone.
Those massive dunes were swept inland for over a quarter of
a mile. Those massive dunes had protected the few active houses and buildings
within the park and even the abandoned barracks, structurally iffy for years,
were still standing. Dunes are what made the difference in Long Island beachfront communities like Lido Beach, mostly intact, and the duneless Long Beach, severely damaged.
This is just the beginning of what we can expect; season
after season, year after year, it’s likely to get worse. Here’s a thing. Water
temperatures are rising for real because of something else that’s very real:
Global Warming. Rising water temperatures mean more storms, and with or without dunes, the loss of lives and homes will be more severe year after year. Sure, there have been floods before our recent era. Galveston,
Texas was literally decimated by a hurricane in 1900, and the Johnstown Flood
occurred in 1889, but we’re seeing a sharp escalation in the severity and frequency of storms.
There’s a Hebrew blessing to be recited upon seeing an
ocean, an acknowledgment of their immense power. Storm surges, which are what
caused so much damage from Sandy, are temporary demonstrations of that power; the water levels return to
normal, leaving uncovered the debris and devastation. Rising sea levels are for
keeps and so is the damage. This is an app that shows coastal cities and what they would look like at various permanent sea level increases. Many cities would disappear.
Here’s a thing: cities are built on waterways, both
coastal and inland, and not because of the pretty views. They develop where
land is fertile, boats can dock, and waterways provide transportation both for people
and goods. And it’s not just oceans that rise; I’ve been to Pittsburgh and have
seen flood level markers on downtown buildings nearly over my head.
New York, Cleveland, Dallas, St. Louis, San Francisco,
Pittsburgh, Chicago, Miami, and Louisville may have little in common, except
that they are all built in proximity to bodies of water. Water that can rise,
surge, and inundate the cities they support.
Now, no matter where you live, it’s always monsoon season.
If you think this is scary, want to do something and have a
little extra money, this is a top-rated environmental NGO addressing global warming, among other issues. This is another one. And there's always The Sierra Club.
All photos © Eleanor Lang
All photos taken at Fort Tilden
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